From Enmity to Amity
by jacksparrow589
Summary: During Roy's aprenticeship, Roy meets one of Riza's friends, and can't really figure out what to make of him. A bit of a scuffle ensues. Royai references.


**From Enmity to Amity**

**A/N: Since Roy, Riza, and Havoc were all on the Eastern front, I figure there's a chance that Havoc and Riza might have come from the same town in east Amestris, and that they might have known each other. If all that were true, this is how I envision Havoc and Roy could have met.**

Coming back from a weekend visiting Chris, Roy could hardly wait to get to the Hawkeye house, let his suitcase fall to the floor, and sprawl on his bed for a nap.

Unfortunately, Fate had other ideas.

As Roy approached the house, he could see Riza leaning against one of the columns of the porch. She had said she would wait to make sure he didn't get locked out, so that wasn't the surprise. The surprise was the taller, blond young man who leaned against the other porch column.

The two were chatting, and pleasantly so if Riza's smile was any indication.

Roy's curiosity kicked into high gear, and with it, his pace.

"Hey, Riza!"

Riza turned and waved to him.

Roy enthusiastically swung his suitcase up the porch steps, trying not to seem in too much of a hurry. He surveyed Riza's guest, who looked to be between his age and Riza's, though he stood about half a head taller than Roy. The young man had slightly disarrayed, somewhat close-cropped golden-blond hair, cerulean eyes, and what would've been a lady-killer smile but for the beginnings of cigarette stains on his teeth.

He looked to Riza, who knew what he was about and gave him a bit of a look, but gave a resigned sigh and introduced the two.

"Roy, this is my friend, Jean Havoc. Jean, this is Roy Mustang, my father's student."

Havoc crossed his arms and studied Roy for a moment. He smirked a little as he turned to Riza. In a tone that was mostly teasing, but still slightly accusatory, he told her, "The way you talk, I was expecting him to cut a bit more of an impressive figure." He turned his gaze to Roy, his tone cooling only just perceptibly. "But then, there's gotta be _someone_ lower on the scale to compare to those of us who are higher up."

Both Riza and Roy were glaring at him now.

"_Jean,_" Riza began in a tone that meant danger.

Roy, however, grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Riza, I think your friend is jealous that I'm currently living in the same house as you." He took a step forward to address Havoc, though not so much that he had to look up—he had his pride. "And I bet you don't like that I have no plans to leave anytime soon."

"So tell me, are you using Mr. Hawkeye to get to Riza, or Riza to get to Mr. Hawkeye?" Havoc asked frostily. "On second thought, I don't care; I'll flatten you either way."

"Try me," Roy taunted.

"Hold on just a minute, you two." Riza stepped between them.

Havoc stepped forward and put a hand to Riza's shoulder to push her aside, but Riza stood her ground. Havoc, not expecting this, had already begun to take a swing.

"Riza!" Roy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her the opposite way Havoc had been trying to push her, hoping that he could get her out of the way.

And he did.

In the process, however, he left himself open, and as a result, he took the hit rather squarely in the lower part of the sternum.

_I shouldn't have been standing so close to the stairs!_

He stumbled backward, still with his arm around Riza. She was moving with him, and there was no way this was going to end well…

A hand grabbed Roy's other arm as he flailed to try and catch anything to keep himself from falling. With Havoc's quick, sharper-than-was-strictly-necessary tug (he'd be feeling it by tonight, and that punch wasn't going to help things), Roy regained his balance. He let go of Riza, who in the next instant was delivering a sharp slap to Havoc, who could only stand there and take it.

"And you…" Roy braced himself to be injured for the third time. When the blow didn't come, he snuck a look. Riza had her hand raised, but seemed to be thinking the better of it. "If you hadn't already taken that hit, you'd have gotten the same treatment," Riza warned him.

Roy nodded. "Sorry for baiting you, Havoc." He barely managed to keep the nastiness out of his tone, but knew there would be more trouble if he didn't. "And thanks for not letting me fall."

"Don't get me wrong—I was worried about Riza," Havoc retorted.

Locking eyes with Havoc, Roy gave another barely noticeable nod. "I know."

"Sorry for ragging on you earlier, Mustang." Havoc held out a hand, now almost smiling. "Are we good?"

Roy blinked for a moment. "Um… Yeah." He gave Havoc's hand a firm shake.

Riza sighed. "Stay right here, you two. Roy, you need to sit, and Havoc, you need some ice." Riza went inside, Havoc leaned against "his" post, and a wincing Roy eased down onto the porch swing.

Havoc smiled. "I gotta say, if it's anyone, I'm glad it's you, Roy."

Roy looked over at the other young man. "Huh?"

"You know… Riza…" Havoc trailed off suggestively.

"What? Me? No! I mean… It's not like that! Even if I want—er—even if it was like that, Riza would definitely be the one to have the final say," Roy explained rather hastily.

"And _that's_ exactly why," Havoc concluded. "You're too damn decent, Roy—I can't compare. Riza's made _that_ plain."

"Oh?"

Havoc gave him an exasperated look. "Oh, come _on_. I've known Riza since we were little. I know what makes her tick, and whether or not she admits it outright, you definitely make her tick." He sighed, grinning once again. "She's like my little sister, you know? Neither of us have siblings, so that's always how it's been with us." With no more prompting than Roy's sideways look, Havoc shook his head. "She's out of my league. I couldn't do anything more for her than I already do, and while I think it's helping, I know it's not enough. But like I said, the way she talks about you, you're something else. You're what she needs. Maybe not right here and now, but when you're ready, and someday, you will be. And so will she."

Roy wheezed out a laugh. "You're a romantic at heart, aren't you?"

"A little bit," admitted Havoc with a wry twist to his grin. "But I want what's best for Riza, and I know that it's you."

To this, Roy had nothing to say, and was thankful that Riza reappeared a moment later with three glasses of water and an ice pack. Havoc took the ice and his glass and slid down so that he was sitting on the porch, his back against the column. Roy took his water and scooted over so that Riza could take a seat on the porch swing.

The three were silent for a moment, then, "I'm sorry, Riza."

Riza seemed to accept his apology. "It takes two to fight, Roy."

"Of which I was one," Roy reminded her.

"And I was the other," cut in Havoc. "And I'm sorry, too."

"Some day," Riza sighed, "you'll figure it out."

"Like I was just telling Roy, I only want what's best for you. I know you can take care of yourself, but you're like a sister to me, Riza, and I'd feel remiss if I didn't at least check this guy out. Make sure his pretty face isn't the only thing you see," he joked.

Riza allowed herself to smile at that. "Thanks, Jean."

Havoc laughed. "Oh, don't thank me yet." He set the ice pack on his cheek again, ignoring Riza's puzzled glance.

This look was then turned on Roy, who shrugged. "I've only known the guy for ten minutes!"

"Jean, I don't usually keep secrets from you…" Riza prompted.

"Someday, Riza, I'll tell you, I promise. Just not today. Okay?"

A sigh. "I'm holding you to it."

"I don't doubt it." Havoc stood, leaving his glass on the porch. "Sorry for the trouble. I've gotta get back to the store, though, or my mom's gonna kill me. Later!"

Riza looked at Roy. "Are you all right?"

Roy shrugged. "Mostly."

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, he seems like the sort of friend we all need sometimes. If you can put up with him, so can I."

Riza smiled. "Sometimes, I wonder about that…"

Roy stood now. "Well, I need to go unpack."

Riza got to her feet. "I'll help you carry your things."

"Nah. I've been enough trouble today. Thank you, though," he added, grabbing his bags.

"Thank _you_, Roy," Riza said quietly.

Before heading inside, Roy turned and gave her a genuine smile. "No problem, Riza."

**A/N: Whoa… at 1,439 words in the story itself, this is WAY longer than I was expecting to make it! That fight popped into my head, and it turned into this. Wow…**

**I feel like "What is This Feeling?" from the musical "Wicked" actually sort of describes Roy's relationship with Havoc in this. In a comical way, of course.**

**Also, this could be taken as a sort of prequel to "Thicker Than Blood", though I wasn't thinking of that when I wrote this. But Havoc's "I'll tell you later" dovetails the two pretty nicely.**

**Let me know what you think!**


End file.
